What would your choice be right now?

Look at AuctionTime. TNT has been selling some new flats on there here recently.

I haven't seen a slider sell, but fixed spreads have sold for 40k$ in the last few weeks.

Here's 2 to keep an eye on. The Mac isn't a slider, but may give you a better idea of the deals out there now
https://www.auctiontime.com/listing...railers-xp55-53-aluminum-flatbed-w-rear-slide

https://www.auctiontime.com/listing...mfg-48-x-102-all-aluminum-flatbed-w-wsa-qty18

 

Why not a spread with a rear dump. Spread is lot easier to keep weight legal when loading.

 

They both look very nice.

 

A dump on the rear axle saves tires and allows for sharp turns, plus a fixed spread will be easier to keep in alignment in my opinion. On a slider the back axle will have play on the pins.

As far as a lift axle when light, we have a lot of vans with auto lift axles and plenty of loads the lift stays in the air.

 

I wouldn’t think you’d have the clearance for it. When I pulled a spread axle cattle trailer they were always wired for a dump on the rear that would dump out about 50% of the air. Made it easy getting around corners.

 

It didn’t. That’s the whole point of a dump valve. It will pivot on the front axle but maintaining some pressure in the rear bags doesn’t completely overload the front bags. The spreads you see from PA that lift axles off the ground when loaded are running 3 bags per axle.